Local Government in Residence Program
The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership is proud to bring local government leaders to the Pepperdine Malibu campus through our Local Government in Residence Initiative. This effort includes two programs designed to provide School of Public Policy students with the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with those in local government leadership, specifically current city managers and mayors. For our mayors and city managers in residence, this initiative gives them the opportunity to mentor future policy leaders and share their experiences working in local government.
Originally introduced in 2011 as the City Manager in Residence program, a part of a collaborative effort developed by the California International City Manager Association (Cal-ICMA) to offer students in graduate public policy and public administration programs the opportunity to learn first-hand from city managers, this initiative has expanded to offer a Mayor in Residence program as well.
The Mayor in Residence program is offered as a 1-day event during the fall semester, and the City Manager in Residence program is offered as a 1-day event during the Spring semester. In addition to a series of individual conversations, our local government leaders in residence also participate in a special Davenport Discussion and join the ICMA student chapter for lunch.
Mayor in Residence
Fall 2023 marked the start of our Mayor in Residence Program and we were thrilled to host Mayor of Dallas, Texas, Eric Johnson.
Prior to becoming mayor, Johnson served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented the City of Dallas from April 2010 to June 2019. During his tenure in the Texas Legislature, Johnson served on several legislative committees, including Appropriations, Ways and Means, Higher Education, and Natural Resources. He also served as chairman of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation. In addition to his service as Mayor of Dallas, Johnson is also a partner with the international law firm of Locke Lord LLP.
City Manager in Residence
For our Fall 2024 City Manager in Residence we are hosting Steve McClary, City Manager for the City of Malibu.
Prior to his role in Malibu, Steve served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Camarillo and as City Manager for the City of Ojai. His career in local government began in 1997 with the City of Fillmore, following his role as Editor of the Fillmore Gazette.
Past City Managers in Residence
Alexis Brown (Spring 2024)
Alexis Brown is the Deputy City Manager for the City of Malibu. Prior to this work in Malibu, Brown served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Imperial. Brown was also named as a "Top 20 Leaders Under 40 in Imperial County" by Valley Women's Magazine in 2022 and "Key Influencer" by the US Navy Blue Angels for her leadership and advocacy efforts in 2020.
Drew Powers (2023)
Drew Powers is the city manager for the City of Thousand Oaks, California. Prior to his work in Thousand Oaks, Drew managed communications & media relations, web development, and community partnerships for the City of Ventura’s Civic Engagement Division. He also has led marketing, corporate relations, and program development activities for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, Parks & Recreation Department.
Troy Brown (2022)
Troy Brown is the City Manager of Moorpark, California. Prior to this, he served as assistant city manager of Livermore, California. Brown has been an active member of ICMA since 2004, serving as West Coast Regional Vice President on the ICMA Executive Board and as elected 2020-2021 president of ICMA.
Matt Bronson (2021)
Matt Bronson is the City Manager of Grover Beach, California. Prior to his service in Grover Beach, he worked as the assistant city manager of San Mateo for six years. Through local government, Bronson has demonstrated a remarkable ability to turn visions, goals, policies, and ideas into reality.